I have a confession to make . . .

I don’t like to spend money. No, the problem goes even deeper. More than just Scotch or parsimonious or frugal, I’m downright—an ugly word is coming up–cheap. As the clichés go, I can squeeze a dollar until it screams. See that picture below of the person burning a dollar? That is not me! I take gentle care of every bill.

How cheap am I?

I’m currently using a lipstick which is such a terrible color it makes me look as if I have jaundice . When I brush it on, it feels as if I’ve smeared grease on my lips. In addition, that terrible blobby substance leaves hideous, oily magenta stains on anything within five inches. I keep using it because the tube cost nearly nine dollars.

I’ve used room spray that smells only slightly better than the odor it’s meant to mask and throws my sinuses into spasms. I can’t stop using it. I still have half a can left.

Most days, you’ll see a bottle of something—hand lotion, laundry detergent, ketchup—on the counter with another bottle of the same substance on top of it upside down, the contents dripping into the first container. I like to believe I’m saving the world one drip-drop at a time.

Do any of you take such drastic measures to save money? Funny or helpful, give me your tips here. AND, if they’re sound, I’ll use them either in my next newsletter or my website (janemyersperrine.com) and mention your name. I’m looking for these tips because the people who populate Butternut Creek are a thrifty lot and Adam doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. .

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8 thoughts on “I have a confession to make . . .”

I try to drain the last bits from bottle, too, and it irks me that the brushes on nail polish never reach the bottom. I abandoned fabric softener years ago, and now use vinegar instead. Always feel so frugal when I pour it in!

I have been very frugal in my life, not nearly as much now as I was in all the years I didn’t have two pennies to rub together. I sewed all my own window treatments for my house, for one thing. Cooking for myself instead of eating out, NOT going to movies…it will be on TV some day!

My inspiration for frugality came from my parents. Water in the catsup bottle to get out that very last drop, using baking soda instead of toothpaste, driving 25-30 year old cars, literally, until the wheels fell off…I grew up with lots of sisters and brothers and not a lot of money so making things last was just part of the way we lived. And I never missed the money.